Ava was at the mere age of 10 when it happened. Her parents had left for dinner at a high-end restaurant to celebrate their anniversary. It was supposed to be a romantic night away from all the noisy kids. They left Ava's brother Maleek in charge as they said they would be back by 8 p.m., and the restaurant wasn't too far from home. Ava's big brother was quite responsible when it came to looking out for his own. It gave him a sense of pride and superiority over his younger, less trusted kin. The hour hand had already passed eight when there was a knock at the door. Ava ignored it and carried on playing with her dolls in the bedroom while Maleek peered through a window to see if it was anyone they knew. It was a tall man with a baseball cap over his head — a complete stranger. They all didn't pay him any mind thinking nothing of it.

The children continued to play and laugh as no one expected any danger, especially with all the doors locked. Little did they know the man had been watching their house for a while. He was checking to see if anyone was home as there weren't any cars in the driveway. Several minutes after the knock came the sound of the back door opening. Everyone was upstairs and oblivious to the intruder. Everyone, except Kylie. It was her cries for help that alarmed the rest of the family. Maleek was the first one down but everything happened so fast. Panicked by the shouts of the young girl, the man feared getting caught. Clear, terrified cries quickly became no more than muffled whispers. Kylie frantically clawed at the man's hands as she squirmed and kicked her legs viciously, hoping to break free from his grip. His strength was much greater than her own. The oxygen in her lungs slowly depleted and she felt her chest tighten. She desperately struggled to take in just one more breath, but it was no use. She wasted her energy trying to fight the man off in a panic. It wasn't long before everything went dark.

The trespasser had smothered Kylie to death. Ava arrived in time to see his figure on top of her lifeless other half. At the sight of more children, the man opted to flee with the few valuables he collected, leaving three horrified siblings in his wake. Ava didn't cry. She couldn't cry because her brain was still trying to process what had just happened. Her throat was dry and her fingers were shaking. She stared. She stared and stared wide-eyed in the middle of the living room until her parents finally returned. Apparently they had gotten too comfortable alone in a parking lot together and had more pleasurable things on their mind than rushing home by eight.

Because of the event, there is one small memory that Ava holds dear to her heart. A single memory from when she was very young. Her cherished memory was of telling stories with her siblings late at night, back when Kylie was around. Together they would sit in the middle of the floor and take turns telling their own made up adventures. The boys would always take the scary route since Ava and Kylie's fear amused them. They always were a big tease. Maybe that was why Kylie never failed to include Ava in her stories, since she saw her as a dependable companion and sister. Ava doesn't have a lot of memories of Kylie, so this one will always be most important to her.

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.